


Words to Live By

by annella



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: M/M, Porn with Feelings, Tattoos, cloud in that dress, cloud is very assertive in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annella/pseuds/annella
Summary: Andrea's always had a thing for tattoos. He's never been able to bring himself to get any himself, but he has always admired them on others. When he sees Cloud in action, he's immediately attracted to him, but when they are dancing together and Andrea sees the tattoos hidden under his clothes, there's no going back.
Relationships: Andrea Rhodea/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 57





	Words to Live By

**Author's Note:**

> HUGE thanks to [MoonlightPastime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightPastime/pseuds/MoonlightPastime) for reading over this for me and giving me tips! :D Links to the artwork that inspired this are in the end notes. :)

Growing up in Wall Market, in the corridors and backstage areas of the Honeybee Inn, Andrea had known from a young age that he was destined to be a dancer. As he grew from a gangly and awkward child into a still awkward but less gangly teenager, he became aware of the other activities that went on in the Inn. By the time he came of age, he had embraced his destiny whole-heartedly, both as a dancer and a private entertainer. He’d seen the tips the other staff picked up, the extra gil stuffed into their pockets and stocking tops by the end of the night, and he wanted that. 

He’d always been fascinated by the people who visited the Inn, drawing a vast variety of people from all walks of life from across Midgar and beyond. His first patron was a man in his twenties from Junon, a lithe fighter with tattoos decorating his arms and down his back to brush the tops of his buttocks. Andrea was intrigued by the designs and, filled with an intense desire to decorate his own body, he went to see his mentor.

_Our bodies are for sale, Andrea. We are commodities and we must not deliberately damage the goods._

It was a blow, to be sure. He’d always known, deep down, that his body didn’t belong to him, but to be reminded of it so bluntly knocked something loose deep inside him.

It was a philosophy Andrea had most assuredly abandoned after he rose through the ranks of dancers to become the star and, eventually, the owner of the Inn. And yet, even after several years as the most renowned entertainer in Wall Market, he found himself unable to completely shake those words. Although he had no qualms about his Honeybees decorating themselves in whichever way they wanted, his own body remained clear of any ink.

He was not _goods_. He was not a _commodity_. And yet, to mark his body with ink—a true expression of self-ownership—still felt as out of reach as the top of the Shinra Tower. 

But oh, he was _absolutely_ a fan of tattoos. Over time, he’d earned the right to pick and choose his clients, and he almost exclusively found himself drawn to slender, muscular young men with ink decorating their bodies. He loved touching the marked skin, tracing the lines with fingers and tongue until his client was out of his head with desire.

Almost everything about Cloud was Andrea’s type. That slim build, those gorgeous arms, that beautifully soft mop of blond hair—from the moment he saw Cloud in action, he was spellbound and desperate to know more about him. The fluid and effortless way he swung that huge sword of his, the way he positively _danced_ in the arena… Andrea was determined to see him on a different stage.

“That boy…” he breathed, eyes fixed on Cloud as he twirled his sword with a flourish after taking down Corneo’s Hell House.

“Awfully rare, you taking an interest in someone,” Madam M said. “What will you do?”

Andrea stroked his chin and smiled.

It didn’t take long for his plans to come to fruition. All it took was the right word in Madam M’s ear and an hour or so later, Cloud showed up at the Inn just in time for Andrea’s evening performance. The boy looked adorably clueless when he was dragged onto the stage, but his expression spoke of pure determination.

At first, Andrea thought he was imagining things in the chaotic splendour of the dance, the loud music, the flashing lights: there was a tiny glimpse of black ink peeking out from the neck of Cloud's sleeveless knit top. He ignored it, not wanting to be even more distracted by the gorgeous man who was keeping up with him better than anyone he'd ever danced with. 

But then there was another—a lightning bolt just visible on Cloud's shoulder below his pauldron. Andrea bit his lip and forced it out of his mind as he and Cloud moved together, but he couldn't help wondering how extensive Cloud's tattoos were. Did they cover his entire upper body? 

Andrea was an experienced dancer; he'd kept the show going through dancers fainting on stage, fights breaking out in the audience, fights breaking out on _stage_. Surely he could keep his composure for this.

Another glimpse of Cloud's neck tattoo taunted him, this time showing more. Black runes encircled his neck, the lines stark and sharp, and Andrea almost tripped over his own feet. He managed to cover his slip only due to his years of experience, but he could feel a flush building in his face which couldn't be attributed to the heat and exertion. What did the runes mean? Were there more tattoos hidden underneath Cloud’s tight-fitting top which stretched beautifully over his chest?

He was getting near the end of the routine and Andrea was still amazed at how Cloud was able to pick up his lead so easily, taking up his position in front of him and mirroring Andrea's hands on his chest. It gave Andrea an opportunity to look more closely at Cloud's neck, at the runes spelling out an unknown word, but it definitely didn't help his state of mind. 

The dance ended and the crowd erupted, and Andrea turned to Cloud, his vision hazy with heat and excitement. 

"Honey," he purred, "I'm in love." Cloud stared at him, dumbstruck, his chest heaving with exertion and a gorgeous flush on his face. 

Andrea deliberately did not peek while his Honeybees got Cloud ready, lacing him into the dress and applying his makeup. He tried not to think about the ink he'd glimpsed, wondering if it had just been his imagination in the heat of the moment. But as the crowd gasped and cheered at Cloud's reveal, Andrea turned to see that he had definitely _not_ been seeing things. 

The runes encircling Cloud's neck were only slightly hidden by the necklace, their stark lines sharp and clear on Cloud's pale skin. Just above the neckline of the corset were more runes, etched in a horizontal line across his clavicle. On his left shoulder was a lightning bolt, just visible at the edge of his dress, promising even more underneath his clothes.

Andrea forgot how to breathe, his eyes wide as he looked at the vision of beauty before him. He was on autopilot as he took Cloud's hand and spun him around before dipping him low, his hand cradling the curve of Cloud's back and their faces barely an inch apart. 

"Perfection," Andrea murmured, gazing into Cloud's eyes. They were a glorious colour: bright blue bleeding into green near the pupils, and he could see the desire in them, a heat only emphasised by the dark eyeliner. Cloud was trembling slightly in Andrea's hold, his right hand resting on Andrea's hip and his chest rising and falling with his rapid breathing.

There was a question in Andrea's eyes: a raised eyebrow and a meaningful glance as his hand caressed Cloud's back. "Stay a while," he whispered into the heated air between them, his words heavy with the unspoken meaning behind his request, and Cloud nodded, a short, sharp movement. His eyes were wide, his pupils dilated, and he bit his lip when Andrea tightened his hand on Cloud’s waist before lifting him back to his feet.

Andrea had been enamoured by Cloud the moment he saw him enter the Colosseum, and his desire had only been spurred to greater heights by their dance and Cloud's transformation. He poured himself a drink as he waited for Cloud to join him in his private suite, trying desperately to soothe his nerves. It had been a long time since anyone had caught his eye like this, and his hands were shaking with anticipation. 

Cloud had said he'd only be a minute, wanting to let Aerith know where he was, and Andrea had barely sipped his drink before there was a knock on his door. He took a deep breath to compose himself, straightened his clothes, and went to answer the knock. 

"Good, you came," Andrea purred, pushing the door wide open and letting Cloud into his room. 

"I don't have much time," Cloud said, closing the door behind him and stepping towards Andrea. He looked determined, his face set, and Andrea didn't have even a second to reply before Cloud grabbed the lapels of his shirt and steered him towards the sofa. 

"What are—oof!" The breath left Andrea in a gasp when Cloud pushed him down onto the couch, and any words Andrea had planned vanished when Cloud followed, hiking his skirt up and straddling Andrea's thighs. Suddenly finding himself with a lap full of gorgeous blond, Andrea gaped up at him, his hands falling without thought to Cloud’s hips.

“Comfortable?” Cloud asked, the low timbre of his voice sending shockwaves through Andrea’s body. He cupped Andrea’s face in those surprisingly delicate hands before sliding them down, caressing his neck and shoulders.

“Extremely.” Andrea ran his hands up Cloud’s back, marvelling at the cinch of his waist. “So, my dear, what would you like from me this evening?”

Cloud blinked, taken aback by Andrea’s question, but his eyes darkened moments later as he leaned close, pressing his forehead to Andrea’s. “What do you think?” he growled, and kissed him. 

Andrea responded without thinking, grabbing Cloud’s ass and dragging him closer, his mouth falling open against Cloud’s lips. The kiss was fierce, intense, and Andrea moaned softly as Cloud slipped his tongue into Andrea's mouth, sliding it against his own. He hadn’t been expecting things to move so fast, certainly hadn’t been expecting Cloud—who gave off the apparently _very_ misleading air of shy innocence—to stride into his room and park himself on Andrea’s lap, fishnet-clad thighs clenching tightly around him. He was already getting hard, his cock swelling in his pants from Cloud’s onslaught. 

“You’re overdressed.” Andrea pulled away from Cloud's mouth with a gasp and pushed a hand up under his skirt, fondling his muscular thighs and tracing the tops of his stockings. 

“Whose fault is that?” Cloud shifted into his touch, his chest rising and falling sharply with his heavy breathing. “Can you get me back into this contraption again later?” He tugged at the corset, and Andrea’s gaze fell down to Cloud’s neck, to the tattoos.

“Wait,” he urged, and gently reached around Cloud’s neck to undo the clasp of the necklace concealing the black lines around his throat. “Surely you don’t have to be out of here so quickly that we cannot savour this a little? The audition doesn’t start for at least another hour.” He carefully put the necklace down on a side table and returned his fingers to the warm, smooth skin of Cloud’s neck.

“I, uh—“ Cloud’s eyes were wide as Andrea dragged his fingers over the tattoo, tracing the runes.

“What does this mean?”

Cloud took a slow, deep breath, and closed his eyes. “‘The price of freedom’,” he said quietly.

Andrea nodded, and raised his head to kiss the black ink etched into Cloud's skin. Cloud shivered, his fingers tightening on Andrea's shoulders, inhaling loudly in the quiet of the room as Andrea lightly traced the tattoo with just the tip of his tongue. His breathing was laboured, and Andrea could feel the rapid beat of his pulse through his tongue.

"And this one?" Andrea asked, touching his clavicle. He nuzzled his face into Cloud's chest, enjoying the way Cloud gasped when Andrea's short beard scraped against smooth skin. 

"Uh, 'protector'." Cloud let out a soft moan, panting as Andrea ran his fingers over him. 

"Hmm. Will I find more, once I get you out of this?" Andrea wondered, reaching around behind Cloud to tug the laces of the corset loose. 

"Maybe," Cloud said, a smirk thrumming through his voice. He shifted again on Andrea's lap, sliding his hips further forward to press himself up against Andrea's cock. "Hmm. Enjoying yourself?"

Andrea couldn't even formulate a reply, all thought driven from his head at the feel of Cloud's erection pressed against him, Cloud’s hands on him, completely surrounded by his body, his scent, his words, his _ink_. He groaned, tugging harder at the laces, his hands starting to tremble as he loosened the ties and pushed the corset down a little. Not all the way off, not yet, but enough to reveal more of Cloud's chest. 

Andrea had to take a moment to sit back and gaze at the increasingly dishevelled man on his lap. Those dark-rimmed blue eyes stared down at him, lip caught between his teeth, face becoming more flushed by the moment. Andrea raised a hand to touch Cloud's chest, feeling the sculpted round firmness of his pecs, the tight nub of his nipples. It was then that he saw a third set of runes, this one etched underneath his right pec. He could also see more of the storm clouds, the lightning bolts arcing across Cloud's torso and down his left side. 

"I think I understand this one," Andrea said, smiling up at Cloud as he touched the storm clouds. "But this one…"

"That's—oh!—that one's 'transformation'." Cloud inhaled sharply as Andrea caressed his nipple, and slid a hand up the back of his head, drawing him in for a kiss, his other hand resting lightly against Andrea's on his chest. 

"How appropriate," Andrea murmured into Cloud's mouth. Cloud let out a whine, so quiet and short lived that Andrea thought he might have imagined it, but it happened again when he gently pinched Cloud's nipple. Cloud's hips jerked against him, their cocks rubbing together. The friction was sweet, a rising fire blossoming in his blood, but it wasn't enough. 

Cloud apparently felt the same, his hands dropping down to the close space between them. He didn't let up on the kiss, breathless gasps sounding harsh in Andrea's ears as he forced their mouths further open, pushing his tongue further inside until Andrea didn't know where he ended and Cloud began. Cloud's deft fingers were busy, and Andrea let out a startled gasp when he felt that warm hand slipping into his pants. 

"Someone's eager," Cloud said, his voice rich with amusement. Andrea could only nod as Cloud pushed his clothing aside and freed his cock, stroking him up and down with a strong hand. He groaned and pinched Cloud's nipple hard, relishing the soft, surprised moan it produced from the beautiful man perched on his lap. His hips were already rising and falling as he pushed himself into Cloud's grip, waves of lust thrumming through his body. 

"Get this fucking corset off me!" Cloud gasped, pushing at the stiff garment with his free hand. Andrea was quick to oblige this time, letting go of Cloud's nipple to swiftly undo the clasps at the front. The corset fell away, followed quickly by the short bolero, and Andrea couldn't hold back the desperate moan at having Cloud half naked in front of him. 

He had a clear view of the storm cloud inked onto Cloud's shoulder now, and he marvelled at its clever design, using negative space to show the bright lightning bolts surrounded by dark clouds. He saw yet another tattoo just above Cloud's hip, too; a stylised wolf's head. 

"You are going to be the death of me," he said softly, not knowing where to put his hands, wanting to put them everywhere. The storm tattoo was very appropriate—Andrea felt like he was in the middle of one himself, tossed every which way in the winds. Cloud was his anchor, and he wasn’t going to let go. He reached up to touch Cloud’s hair, marvelling at the soft spikes. Cloud leaned into his touch, whimpering through clenched teeth when Andrea tugged his hair.

“Andrea—“

“Tell me what you want,” Andrea said softly,

"Just touch me, Rhodea," Cloud hissed, tightening his grip around Andrea's cock, jerking him off with expert tugs of his wrist. 

"Where?" Andrea slid his hands down Cloud's sides, marvelling at the smooth, pale skin and the gorgeous tattoos. 

Cloud growled and grabbed Andrea's hand, bringing it up under his skirt. Andrea inhaled sharply: his Honeyboys had put Cloud into the briefest of underwear, and his cock was straining desperately to be freed. Andrea obliged, pushing aside the skimpy fabric and wrapping his hand around Cloud’s dick. 

"Fuck, that's good." Cloud's head fell back and Andrea leaned forward to kiss his neck, relishing Cloud's needy whimpers as he slid his hand up and down his cock. The hand on his own erection faltered as Cloud thrust his hips forward, fucking Andrea's hand. 

Having Cloud half-naked before him was an absolute delight, but Andrea wanted _more_. With his free hand, he pushed Cloud's skirt higher, revealing him to Andrea's gaze. He bit his lip, looking down at the gorgeous cock surging in his hand, and shifted his hips so they were pressed together, wrapping his hand around both himself and Cloud. 

"Ah, shit," Cloud cursed, his fingers tangling with Andrea's. His cock was leaking precome, slick wetness easing the way as their combined strokes became more frantic. A wave of desire was washing over Andrea, cresting and falling with each stroke, heat burning in his belly and spreading through every limb. 

"I'm close," he muttered through gritted teeth. 

"Me too," Cloud said, his eyes fixed on where they were pressed together so intimately. "God, that feels good."

"Enjoyed our dance, did you?" Andrea asked, increasing the pace. He was almost panting for breath now, sweat beading at his forehead, and he watched Cloud's beautiful mouth fall open on a mindless groan. 

"Huh?" Cloud seemed to have lost the ability to form words, and Andrea tilted his head up, drawing Cloud's face down to him with a tight grip in his hair. 

"Because I certainly did," Andrea continued, rubbing his thumb over the head of Cloud's dick on each pass. Cloud moaned, his eyes fluttering closed, his long lashes resting against his cheeks. Andrea took a moment to admire the excellent job his Honeyboy had done with the makeup: the dark eyeliner and mascara only making Cloud's extraordinary eyes even more intense, the contour on his cheeks such a light touch that it only enhanced the flush decorating his delicate features. The lipstick was all but gone, no doubt smeared all over Andrea's face, but that was an easy fix for later. 

"Wait, stop, I'm gonna—" Cloud let out a pained groan as he pulled away from Andrea, putting a few inches of space between them. 

"Huh?" Andrea had been _this close_ , and his hips bucked into empty air as he backed down from the crest. 

"Get on the bed," Cloud purred in his ear. "Clothes off. I want you on your back."

Andrea's brain stopped working for a moment, his mouth hanging open in surprise. So that was how Cloud wanted to play it, hmm? Andrea was used to taking the lead in the bedroom, figuring out what his clients wanted through their actions more than their words. It was fine, albeit not what he would prefer personally, so he was feeling a level of excitement like no other at having Cloud tell him exactly what he wanted. He watched as Cloud slid off his lap, pushing the dress off and standing before him in nothing but thigh-high fishnet stockings, tattoos, and a smirk. He raised his eyebrow at Andrea and tilted his head in the direction of the bed, and Andrea had never stripped out of his clothes so fast in his life. 

Cloud’s body covered him the moment he was lying down, slender hips nestled between Andrea's thighs, cocks sliding together in the humid heat between them. His mind froze up as Cloud leaned in to kiss him, soft lips caressing Andrea's mouth, warm tongue sliding in to tangle with his own. His hands slid down Andrea's sides, over his hips, until they were holding his thighs, and Andrea let out a moan when Cloud pulled away and sat back on his heels. 

He was a gorgeous sight in the low light of Andrea's bedchamber. The warm glow of the lanterns shone golden on Cloud's pale skin, his hair almost alight with shades of copper mingling with the blond. His eyes were wide, the pupils huge and dark, the incredible bright blue and green irises almost glowing. 

And the tattoos stood out in rich black lines, beautiful and just begging to be touched. Andrea traced his fingers over them again, watching Cloud's expression as he delicately stroked his neck, his clavicle, over his pecs, down to the cut of his hips. 

"Andrea," Cloud murmured, his eyes closing and his brow furrowed. "God, I just—"

"Hmm?" Andrea rested one hand on Cloud's hip, the other reaching further down to wrap around his cock. "What do you want?"

Cloud’s eyes flew open, his gaze immediately focused on Andrea's face. "Take a guess," he said in a rough voice, and grabbed Andrea's legs, lifting them onto his shoulders. “Can I fuck you?”

Andrea shivered as Cloud wrapped a hand around him, sliding his thumb over the head of his cock. “God, yes,” Andrea gasped, clutching at the blankets. All he could think about was getting Cloud inside him, filling him with his cock. He blindly reached for the bedside table, fumbling in the top drawer for a bottle of lube and tossing it towards Cloud, who caught it one-handed before turning his attention back to Andrea. 

“Comfortable?” he asked, kissing Andrea’s ankle.

“Extremely,” Andrea replied, arching his back and gazing up at Cloud. His cock was hard and straining against his stomach, and he bit his lip in anticipation.

“Hmm.” Cloud quickly slicked himself up and, his gaze locked on Andrea, took hold of himself and slowly pressed into Andrea’s body. 

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Andrea gasped, his head spinning as his body adjusted to Cloud sliding inside him. His hands grappled at air until Cloud grabbed them, holding them tight. Cloud leaned down, folding Andrea almost double, his cock so deep inside him Andrea found himself panting for air. Cloud rested his forehead against Andrea’s, his hips pressed against the backs of Andrea’s thighs, both of them breathing harshly in the quiet of the room.

“Doing okay?”

“Never better.” Andrea couldn’t move; he was completely at Cloud’s mercy. He let go of Cloud’s hands and ran his fingers up into his hair, captivated by how soft and silky it was. Cloud leaned his head into Andrea’s hand, his eyes closed, and Andrea pulled him in for a kiss. His lips were so incredibly soft, his tongue so talented as he tangled it with Andrea’s, delicately slipping it into Andrea’s mouth, and Andrea was dizzy with overwhelming emotions. He wanted to kiss Cloud forever, wanted to feel those lips on his until the end of time, but even more than that, he wanted Cloud to _fuck_ him already.

Andrea tried to move his hips, but with his legs over Cloud’s shoulders, he didn’t have any leverage. He grunted, clenching his ass around Cloud’s dick, and Cloud pulled away with a gasp, leaning back onto his heels, his dick still buried tight in Andrea’s ass.

“I believe you promised to fuck me?” Andrea said, tightening his muscles again.

“Just making sure you were ready,” Cloud replied, his voice rough, and he pulled back only to immediately thrust back in. Andrea gasped, his mouth falling open as Cloud’s cock pressed into him in all the right ways, the pressure against that most sensitive spot inside him making waves of heat roll through his body. Cloud thrust again, harder, and all Andrea could do was hold onto the blankets as Cloud started pounding into him without mercy, the headboard of his bed thumping against the wall with each thrust.

“God, you feel good,” Andrea moaned, his eyes roving all over Cloud’s body. Cloud was sweating, a fine sheen covering his gorgeous torso, glistening in the lamplight. Andrea couldn’t take his eyes off Cloud’s tattoos, the storm clouds on his shoulder shifting as his muscles surged with each thrust. His face was creased up with effort, his mouth open as he panted for breath, his eyes half-closed. He was a beautiful sight, and Andrea felt a rush of more than just lust: this boy was truly something special.

“Andrea, I’m close,” Cloud choked out, his hips moving faster, and Andrea reached down and took hold of himself, wrapping his hand around his cock and jerking himself off in time to Cloud’s thrusts. His toes curled, his head arched back against the pillow, and the fire building his gut exploded in waves of molten heat as he came all over his hand and stomach. Cloud’s eyes widened, looking down at him, and it only took him a few more strokes before he was burying himself deep within Andrea, his cries echoing off the walls of the bedchamber.

“Cloud,” Andrea gasped, letting his legs fall back to the bed. Cloud slid free of him and collapsed on top of him, his head buried in the crook of Andrea’s neck and their legs tangled together. Andrea could feel the rapid beat of Cloud’s heart, the rush of air against him as Cloud caught his breath, and he wrapped his arms around this incredible man who had so quickly and thoroughly worked his way into Andrea’s heart.

They lay together for a minute, Andrea’s hands stroking Cloud’s back, Cloud mouthing gently at Andrea’s neck. Eventually the need to clean up became all too pressing, and Cloud reluctantly shifted off Andrea. There was a stack of towels on the dresser on the far side of the room, and Cloud went to fetch a couple, affording Andrea a glance at his back. 

“Wait, is that—“ Andrea slid off the bed and went to get a closer look at Cloud’s ass. His back was surprisingly free of any further tattoos, aside from a small one right in the middle of his left ass cheek: a tiny cartoonish cloud with a smiley face in the centre. There was even a little rainbow coming out of the side. It was so incongruous with the rest of his ink that Andrea burst out laughing.

“Oh. Yeah. That one.” Cloud turned around and shoved a towel at Andrea, a look of resignation on his face.

“It’s so _cute_ ,” Andrea blurted out, pushing Cloud around so he could see it again. “Were you drunk?”

“”What do _you_ think?” 

“I think it’s adorable.” Andrea stroked Cloud’s ass and kissed the back of his neck. “Just like the rest of you.”

Cloud huffed out a laugh.

Despite Cloud’s earlier insistence that he couldn’t stay long, they ended up back on the bed, facing each other, legs entwined and hands stroking down each other’s bodies. Their faces were close enough to feel each other’s breath, and every so often Cloud leaned in to lightly kiss Andrea’s lips. It was enough to make his heart clench, enough to fill him with dread for what Cloud was going to face at the mansion later on.

“You really like my tattoos,” Cloud observed, a faint smile on his face as Andrea once again ran his fingers over the runes decorating his clavicle. 

“Mmm. Always wanted one myself.”

“Why not get one?”

Andrea sighed. “I’ve got some hang-ups. For the first five years working here, I was told my body was a commodity and I wasn’t to damage it. Even though I’m in charge now, and my Honeybees can have whatever tattoos or modifications they like, I—I don’t know.”

“What would you get, if you could?”

“A honeybee,” Andrea said immediately. “On my hip.”

“Hmm.”

“You don’t think that’s a good idea?”

Cloud was quiet for a moment. “My tattoos… they mean things to me. It’s not about what I do, it’s about who I am. If you want a honeybee, then you should get one. But you’re more than just a dancer, aren’t you?”

Andrea was lost for words, and he blinked at Cloud, his mind spinning.

“You’re smart, resourceful, strong. And you’re sending _me_ in to see Don Corneo, which seems pretty risky. You know I’m not going there to be his _wife_. If this goes badly, you’re in trouble.” Cloud paused and glanced away. “I don’t know. It’s up to you. But you said it yourself, earlier.” His voice was hushed, and he took hold of Andrea’s hand, kissing his fingertips. “Don’t ever be afraid.”

Andrea blinked at him, emotion welling up from deep inside. “Words to live by,” he forced out, and kissed Cloud again.

It didn’t take too long to get Cloud dressed again, but his hair and makeup were so hopelessly messed up that Andrea had to call Claude in from the dressing rooms to fix up the damage he’d done. He ignored Claude’s sly grin as his Honeyboy re-applied Cloud’s makeup and tidied up his hair, and saw him out with a promise to give him more details later. When he turned back to the room, Cloud was looking at himself in Andrea’s full length mirror.

“Like what you see?” Andrea purred, coming up behind him and resting his chin on Cloud’s shoulder, his hands circling his cinched waist.

Cloud cleared his throat. “It’s growing on me,” he admitted. 

“Come see me again when you get the chance,” Andrea offered.

“In three years, when you have a free appointment?”

Andrea laughed. “That’s just a way to weed out people I’m not interested in. Rest assured, the first time you came to the Inn tonight, my lovely receptionist immediately told me all about you. So of course I jumped at the chance to invite you back here. Consider yourself to have an open invitation for whenever you can come see me again.” He kissed Cloud’s neck, nuzzling the soft skin as his hands slid up Cloud’s chest and down his arms to take hold of his hands as he teased Cloud’s ear and neck.

“God, don’t get me going again,” Cloud groaned, tilting his head back.

“Then you’d best be leaving,” Andrea said reluctantly, stepping away. “Your audition starts soon. I’d wish you luck, but—“ He spread his hands. “You won’t need it.”

“Hmm.” Cloud turned to face him again, leaning in for one last kiss. “Thanks. This was definitely worth it.” He smiled briefly, and his entire face was lit up by it. 

It was six months before he saw Cloud again. Andrea had tried to put him out of his mind, getting on with the business of running the Inn without having to worry about Don Corneo interfering with his business. Then out of the blue, as he was backstage getting ready for his next show, Claude sidled up to him.

“You have a guest,” he purred into Andrea’s ear.

“I’m about to go on stage,” Andrea grumbled. “They must be very important.”

Claude grinned and stood aside, and Andrea’s jaw dropped to see Cloud standing behind him, looking older, tired, and an expression of hope in his eyes. 

“Cloud,” he breathed, taking a step forward and touching Cloud’s face. Cloud leaned almost imperceptibly into the touch, and Andrea’s heart melted. “Don’t go anywhere. Unless you’d like to join me on stage?”

“Nope,” Cloud said bluntly, but he had a half-smile on his face as he said it.

Later, tangled together on Andrea’s bed, blankets shoved aside and sheets hopelessly messed up, Andrea traced the lines of Cloud’s tattoos again. Cloud was real, he was _here_ , and Andrea had missed him so much it hurt.

“This is new,” Cloud murmured, touching Andrea’s shoulder. On what had previously been smooth, unmarked skin, was a tattoo of a flock of birds, flying free from their cage. Within the flock was a single, solitary bee, a tiny touch of gold on its body making it stand out from the birds. Andrea smiled, taking Cloud’s hand and kissing his knuckles.

“I remembered what you said.”

“Hmm?”

“I stopped being afraid.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank [CervusDeer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CervusDeer/pseuds/CervusDeer) for their AMAZING Cloud/Andrea art which a scene on this is very much based off. You must go check it out [HERE](https://twitter.com/Moosephu/status/1285748617710465026). Also when moonlight and I were discussing Cloud's tattoos, Kita also sketched up a quick picture of the boy and you can see that [here!](https://twitter.com/Moosephu/status/1291124174975635457)


End file.
